Is This Love? (UNDER EDIT)

Chapter 6 - Love is for Children

Natasha stayed in her room for the rest of the day, not daring to leave and risk facing Steve again. Clint came by that evening, but she ignored his knocks. Knowing she wasn't ready to talk, he called out, saying he was leaving food at the door for her. After he did that, he left, promising to come by again the following day. 

For the next few days, that's how it went. Natasha stayed in her room all day, with Clint bringing her food and snacks throughout the day and leaving straight after. It was one of the things she loved most about Clint. He knew there was no point in getting her to talk before she was ready, so he just brought her food and quickly told her he cared about her and was there for her before leaving again.

As the days passed, Nat started returning from her shell again. She now opened the door for Clint when he came and had casual chats with him. She had also started to go back to the training room early in the morning when no one else was there, as she had started to get sick of only her punching bag and ballet bar as training equipment.

By now, the entire tower knew that something was wrong with Nat. It had been over a week, and they hadn't seen her come out of her room.

Clint was especially concerned about his best friend; he knew something was up. He'd seen her through many of her worst moments, and he knew how this went. He knew that she would push everyone who cared about her away while she internally reset herself and reconstructed the iron-clad walls around her soul, just like the Red Room trained her. No one could break you if no one knew you well enough to realise something was wrong. 

Luckily, Clint had become excellent at slowly breaking down those walls over the years, but he knew it would take time. So he resorted to bringing her breakfast and having casual conversations with her. He knew how stubborn she was, that she would rather starve herself than have to come out of her room.

She'd only just started to talk to Clint again. He knew better than to pester her with the details of her seclusion, but he knew something had happened between her and Steve, who'd also been a wreck all week. He had been distant, only emerging from his room to eat or train. 

That morning, Clint decided to confront Steve while they were training. Steve was upset about everything and kept saying that it was all his fault and that she had pushed him too far. He hadn't offered Clint any other details, but he'd gathered the gist of their fight. 

Clint carefully broached the subject with her as he bought her breakfast that morning.

"So Nat... did something happen between you and Rogers?" He tentatively asked, quickly trying to gauge whether or not she was welcoming of her question. 

"No," She supplied quickly. Too easily. Had it been anyone else, they would've bought that lie, but he knew her better than that.

"Funny, 'cause Steve has been upset all week, barely leaving his room either. When I asked him about it this morning, he said that he and some Natasha chick had a fight, and he took it too far. I must have mistaken another Natasha for you. Sorry," Clint quipped sarcastically, shrugging and turning to leave.

"We did fight..." Natasha whispered, and Clint turned around, waiting for her to continue. 

"I- I failed a mission, and he helped me clean up afterwards. The next day, I took my anger out on the punching bag and completely forgot to wrap my hands. He got upset and questioned my ability to care for myself... I haven't seen him since." She finished quietly, putting her head down and sat on her bed to hide her emotions. 

"Oh, Nat," Clint softly replied as he walked over to sit beside her, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

"I don't know why it got to me so much," She whispered as she fiddled with her hands tucked carefully in her lap.

"I do," Clint said, and Nat looked up at him in surprise, waiting silently for him to continue. 

"It's because you care more about him and his opinions than you realise. So when he hurt you, it got to you much more than it should have." He explained.

"Perhaps," she sighed gently.

"Is this love agent Romanoff?" Clint asked cheekily, earning a glare from Natasha.

"Love is for children." She retorted coldly, but that only provided more proof, in Clint's opinion, as he let a smirk stretch onto his face.

"Whatever you say, Nat," Clint replied in a sing-song voice, turning and walking away to avoid getting a widow bite to the neck, leaving Nat alone with her thoughts.

Love is for children, right? Nat thought as she stayed frozen on her bed, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

"Agent Romanoff, Director Fury requires you in his office. It is urgent." FRIDAY said, interrupting her thoughts. 

Sighing, she rose from her bed and walked toward the elevator to Fury's office. She had no idea what Fury wanted, but if it was about her and Steve, she was in half a mind to test Tony's latest improvements to her widow bites on Fury's ass.